CARY, NC (March 24, 2014) – The CEO Roundtable on Cancer has accredited Georgia Regents Medical Center in Augusta, GA with the CEO Cancer Gold StandardTM recognizing the hospital’s efforts to reduce the risk of cancer for its employees and covered family members.
This nonprofit organization of CEOs, founded by former President George H.W. Bush, created the Gold Standard in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), many of its designated cancer centers, and other leading health organizations. The Gold Standard requires companies to evaluate their health benefits and corporate culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to reduce the risk of cancer in the workplace.
“A healthy lifestyle begins with prevention, and certainly those of us in the health care industry should be setting a good example for our patients and families, especially when it comes to cancer,” said David S. Hefner, CEO of Georgia Regents Medical Center. “We provide numerous incentives to help employees become tobacco-free and offer several health and wellness opportunities on everything from diet and exercise to screenings and seminars, demonstrating our commitment as a Gold Standard employer.”
To earn Gold Standard accreditation, a company must establish programs to reduce cancer risk by discouraging tobacco use; encouraging physical activity; promoting healthy diet and nutrition; detecting cancer at its earliest stages; and providing access to quality care, including participation in clinical trials. Today, over four million employees and family members are benefiting from the vision and leadership of the over 160 employers who have chosen to become Gold Standard accredited employers.
“I hope the vision and commitment to better health demonstrated by Georgia Regents Medical Center will encourage other employers in Georgia and across all industries and geographies to become Gold Standard accredited.” said Christopher A. Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi and chairman of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
In addition to NCI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 NCI-designated cancer centers and more than 60 other hospitals have earned Gold Standard accreditation. CEOs from many industries are keenly aware of the life-improving impact they can have on health and controlling healthcare costs when they address cancer and other chronic diseases. Gold Standard employers include: Avis Budget Group, Harvard School of Public Health, Lowe’s, Aetna, Blue Cross affiliates, State Farm, Hogan Lovells, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis and SAS.
About Georgia Regents Medical Center
Georgia Regents Medical Center is a not-for-profit corporation in Augusta, Ga., that provides clinical operations as a cooperative organization for Georgia Regents University. The 478-bed Medical Center includes a Level I trauma center; 154-bed Children’s Hospital of Georgia, providing the highest level of pediatric critical care and neonatal intensive care; and multiple outpatient clinics. GRU physicians are consistently ranked among America’s Top Doctors® and Best Doctors in America®. Visit www.grhealth.org
About The CEO Roundtable on Cancer
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to “do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families.” The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard which calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to fight cancer in the workplace. For more information on the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ and the web-based accreditation process and support, please visit www.CancerGoldStandard.org.
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For more information:
CEO Roundtable on Cancer
Therese Martin, Project Assistant
P: 919-531-3123